On Tuesday 23rd of April 2024, a delegation of Technical Working staff from the Society of Clerks-At-The-Table (SoCATT) Africa Region conducted a goodwill visit to the National Assembly of Seychelles. The delegation was comprised of the Lead Official of the SoCATT Africa Technical Team Mr. Julius Kampamba, and SoCATT Africa Technical Team Member Mr. Rubibi Olivier. National Assembly Service Staff present in the meeting consisted of the Clerk of the National Assembly Mrs. Tania Isaac, Deputy Clerk Ms. Alexandria Faure, Parliamentary Secretary to the Clerk’s Office Ms. Brigitte Contoret, Chief Hansard Editor Mrs. Florette Monaie, Public Relations and Protocol Manager Ms. Angelique Hill, and Research Officer Ms. Shannon Surman.
The purpose of the brief visit was to meet with the Clerk Mrs. Isaac, who is a Member of the SoCATT and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Seychelles Branch Secretary. The meeting commenced with an overview of the Seychelles governance and legislative system, which detailed both the history and current composition of the National Assembly. Discussions on the various similarities and differences in parliamentary systems across the CPA Africa jurisdictions then took place, which demonstrated the vastness and unique nature of legislation and governance across the continent.
The delegation then conducted a presentation on the 2022—2026 SoCATT Africa Strategic Plan which contained robust plans to enhance and strengthen the administrative aspects of the SoCATT, as well as exploring new avenues of capacity-building and sub-regional cooperation. Following the lessons learnt during the previous phase of the SoCATT strategic plan, the vision for 2022-2026 addresses various gaps and challenges, such as a lack of political support and an insufficiency in regional collaboration to address mutual issues.
A second presentation was then given on the SoCATT Africa Action Plan 2024, which detailed the various meetings, sessions, and goodwill visits to be undertaken across the continent with the aim of furthering the understanding and participation of member states. A strong call was made for Seychelles to continually engage with SoCATT, particularly in upcoming seminars. It was noted that SoCATT often acts as a liaison between Parliaments, creating the opportunities for contact and information sharing, as well as the possibility of parliamentary staff exchanges.
The Clerk, Mrs. Isaac, thanked the delegation for their time and information-sharing, noting that it was of much importance to maintain and uphold the positive relationship between the National Assembly and the SoCATT and CPA respectively. Mr. Kampamba and Mr. Olivier were then given a tour of the National Assembly Museum, before their fruitful visit concluded.
Editor’s Note: The Society of Clerks-At-The-Table in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association exists to foster a mutual interest in the duties, rights, and privileges of Officers of Parliament, as well as providing a means to make the Parliamentary practices of various legislatures more accessible to Clerks-At-The-Table.
